


Let Us Cling Together As The Years Go By

by ClaryFangirl



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mentions of AIDS/HIV, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Homophobia, Secret Relationship, vintage lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-10-25 20:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17732195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaryFangirl/pseuds/ClaryFangirl
Summary: I don't have a good summary for this, but Peggy and Sousa date, to keep their cover from being blown.





	1. The Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 'Teo Toriatte' by Queen

 

The bell rung as Daniel Sousa and Peggy Carter entered the Automat, catching the attention of the waitress behind the counter, Angie. Said waitress smiled at them and showed them to an empty booth in the corner of the restaurant.

"So, before I ask this of you, I gotta know, your opinion on sodomy?" Daniel leaned forward slightly.  
"As far as I'm concerned, everyone should be free to marry who they want," Peggy responded nonchalantly.

  
  "Good. Uh, I don't really know how to say this, but uh, Jack and I are together. Like romantically," Daniel forced the words out of his mouth. Peggy's eyebrows arched, surprise painted all over her face.  
"Our Jack Thompson? The one who hates anything even remotely feminine?" She said in disbelief  
"Yeah,"  
"Seems rather hard to believe, but alas"  
   "Peg, it's illegal. You do know that, right?"  
"Of course, rather silly if you ask me," Peggy said. Angie arrived at their table and took their orders. She smiled a second longer when she turned to Peggy and Daniel could've sworn she winked at the agent.

  
  "Well, we're government officials. So I need a favor from you,"  
"Continue," Peggy tapped her nails against the table.  
   "I was wondering if you'd like to pose as my girlfriend, just to avoid suspicion. Jack's out looking for a girl who can pose as his girl right now,"

"Well, tell him to stop looking. I'm certain Angie would be up for it,"  
"The waitress?"  
  "Daniel, you're not the only person whose love is outlawed. Angie and I have been romantically involved since I came back from the war. Honestly, the coffee here is usually shite, why else do you think I spend so much time here?"  
  "I-uh- I got nothin'"   


"Alright, you approach your boyfriend with the idea of 'dating' my girlfriend and I'll do the same. Deal?" Peggy said. Daniel sat in shock. He'd expected this conversation to go a lot differently when he'd asked to talk to her in private.

Angie came to their table with Daniel's coffee and BLT and Peggy's tea.

"Thank you, darling," Peggy smiled at the girl sincerely. She only smiled that way when Daniel had caught her looking at Steve Roger's file. This girl must be really special.  
"Oh, and before I forget, can I come over to your place tonight, I need to run some lines for an audition tomorrow and Eliza's in Texas for her sister's wedding,"  
 "Of course, though I can't imagine my acting is as impeccable as Eliza's," Peggy told her girlfriend.

"Don't worry about it," Angie assured her and went to deal with another customer.  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is short, I'll be updating shortly with chapter 2!


	2. Peggy&Angie and Jack&Daniel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy asks Angie about the agreement. Jack and Daniel are confronted by none other than Chief Dooley.

"And, that's why, Mister, I could never love you. You are too cruel a person," Angie finished her monologue.  
  "Very well done, darling," Peggy commented. The girl blushed at the compliment but sat down next to her girlfriend.  
  "I have been meaning to ask you something. You absolutely don't have to, but it would make things easier," The Englishwoman continued.  
"Go on, English. I don't got all night,"  
  "You know my coworkers, Thompson and Sousa? They are in a relationship, and Daniel has asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend, just for work. We were wondering if you might want to play Thompson's girlfriend? You can say no, or if you agree, set down some ground rules," Peggy rambled on. 

Angie kissed her lightly on the lips and smiled when they pulled apart.  
  "Of course. Should we meet them sometime and lay down the rules so everyone understands?" Angie suggested. Peggy looked taken aback. She'd expected, well, not the exact opposite, but definitely something different.  
    "Thank you," The words were barely audible, but Angie smirked and sat down in Peggy's lap, kissing her confidently.

 

***

 

"Hey, Daniel, what did Carter say?" The blond asked. Daniel leaned his crutch against the chair and sat down.  
"She agreed and came with better news. She's also in a relationship, with another woman, mind you, and she's going to ask her girlfriend if she would mind playing your gal," He answered. Jack smiled at his lover, walking over to the liquor cabinet, taking out a bottle.  
  "I'd say that calls for a celebratory drink," He said.

"Just one, I don't want to walk into the office hungover, tomorrow. It's just too loud, and besides, I don't think I could deal with Dooley while hungover. I might just kill him," Daniel responded, groaning slightly as he made his way to the sofa, where Jack was filling two glasses with, ironically, JackDaniels.  
  "Didya do this on purpose?"  
"Rose may or may not have gone and bought me a bottle when we told her,"

 

It hadn't been intentional for her to know. They'd waltzed into work one morning as usual, except they were together. And Rose, the ever so observant woman, had noticed that Daniel's suit trousers were ever so slightly too long, and he wasn't wearing his iconic sweater vest. She also noted that the suit was familiar, as just a few days ago, Agent Thompson had been bragging about how long it had taken for them to tailor it just right.

 

Rose had confronted them at the lunch break that day, and had promised to not tell anyone about it.

 

***

 

"Daniel! Just the person I wanted to see," Peggy approached him.   
"Uh, what?" He looked around confusedly.  
"Listen, Angie's in, and she suggested that we have dinner to smooth it over. And before you ask, neither of us can host it, Mrs Fry refuses to allow men over the first floor and she already hates me," Somehow, she managed to speak for that long with minimal breathing.  
  "That's a lot of information, but that's great!" Daniel smiled as she walked off, heels clicking on the floor.

Jack immediately suggested dinner at his place once Daniel had updated him on the situation.

 

"Thompson, Sousa, my office," Dooley said as he passed them. They obediently followed and winced as he shut the door slightly too violently.

"I've gotten no less than five reports on you guys," He started.  
  "Civilians?" Jack asked.  
"Agents. And don't interrupt me, kid. They said you'd been actin' queer. Now, I ain't namin' who said what, but you've been raisin' a lot of concerns around here. are ya?" Dooley said. Daniel looked helplessly at Jack, who confidently decided to cover for him.  
    "Do I look like I wear lipstick and dance around in Carter's shoes? Sorry, Sousa," He turned to face him quickly. "My point is, if we were queer, no one would know, but we ain't,"  
"Why'd you just apologise to Sousa?" Dooley asked.  
"Cause Carter's the one female agent, and she was the best example. And it just so happens, that Daniel managed to snag a date with her," Thompson replied before Daniel could answer.  
  


When they finally were sent out of the office, they let out the breath they didn't even realise they were holding.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably as short as the first chapter, but the word count doesn't work right now, so sorry.


	3. Peggy&Angie and Jack&Daniel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner, essentially.

"Darling, you don't have to bake anything. Thompson said he would do the cooking," Peggy said, watching her girlfriend chop the apples.  
  "Peggy, I'd feel awful if we went there empty-handed. It's not like we can buy flowers for him," Angie replied. The knife slid through the apple with a satisfying _pop_.

20 minutes later, and the pie was in the oven and Angie was putting everything away. Peggy walked over to her girlfriend and snaked her arm around her waist. Angie smoothly turned around and was instantly met with Peggy's lips against her own.  
   They stood in the kitchen for a while. Kissing each other calmly, not leading anywhere.

They could've stayed like that forever, but the oven timer went off and Angie took the pie out.

Carefully, she placed it on the table and began slicing the leftover apple in paper-thin slices, which she then lined the edge of the crust with. Peggy leaned against the door, smiling at the way her girlfriend concentrated on such a simple task.

Jarvis had offered to drive them, but since Peggy was certain he'd tell Stark anything that might happen, Peggy turned him down and decided to drive them to Jack's flat.

 

***

 

A rich smell of wine, pasta, and salmon greeted the Lesbians when the Gays opened the door. Angie stood a bit in front of Peggy, holding her apple pie. Jack had opened the door, with his brunet partner behind him.  
   I felt bad about not having to bring anything, so I brought some apple pie. Peggy told me that it was a safe option," Angie said. Daniel smiled at her and took it from her and showed them into the apartment.  
  "Come right this way," He said. It was small, but not cramped. There was a half-wall separating the kitchen and the hall, and the table was set, illuminated by a single candle in the middle of the square.

 

Jack served up the food. It was pasta with a white wine sauce and salmon. And quite frankly, it smelled incredible.

And hurrah, it tasted even better. Well, Peggy presumed that it did, based on the fact that Angie made an _inhuman_ sound when she took the first bite of her portion. 

 

"So, what are your boundaries?" Daniel asked after five minutes or so of polite conversation.  
  "Boundaries?"  
"What are you comfortable with?" He clarified. Peggy thought for a moment.  
  "Hugs are definitely okay, so are nicknames, kisses on the cheek would be fine, but preferably nothing on the mouth," Peggy said, her girlfriend nodding in agreement.  
  "Yeah, same goes for me," she said.  
"Alright, well, that seems like it?" Jack said, standing up to refill their wine glasses.

 

***

 

The wine had taken its effect on three out of the four, Angie being the designated driver, and laughs were bouncing off the walls of the apartment.

But alas, time passes too quickly when time passes, and soon enough, Peggy and Angie were walking towards their car.  
  "Angiiiiiieeee," Peggy groaned when she slid into the vehicle.  
 "What, dear?"   
"I don't know," She exclaimed sleepily and before Angie could ask her what she thought of Jack and Daniel, soft snores came from the passenger seat.

She smiled at the sight because she knew that Peggy rarely got enough sleep, so Angie decided to cherish the sight of her being almost completely peaceful.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gays™ and the Lesbians™ exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I am at the tender age of 15, meaning I have never tried alcohol, neither have I ever experienced a hangover, so this will be as accurate as my limited knowledge of the,

Peggy walked into the office the next morning, and she was definitely not hungover. She definitely didn't think that her heels were too loud, and she definitely didn't think that the sunlight shining into the office needed to shut up.  
  Chief Dooley passed by her desk, before doubling back.  
"Jeez, Carter, you look like death," He commented. Peggy shot him a glare before Daniel came to her aid.  
  "Hey, she had a bit of a late night," He said. Dooley eyed him carefully and apparently noticed the hickey which sat proudly over his collar. So he decided to leave the two alone.  
  "You alright?" He asked the moment Dooley's office door was closed.  
  "I think I might be, I'll just need some sleep, and some coffee," Peggy mumbled drowsily. Her head was headed for her desk, but Sousa caught her and carefully leaned her back.

He then noticed that the rest of the guys in the office were staring at them.  
  "What are you looking at? Am I not allowed to take care of my girlfriend?" He said loudly. The crowd awkwardly turned back to face their desks and continued working.  
  "Sousa, a word," Jack said, and he obliged, following him into a broom closet on the far end of the floor, close to where the women's bathrooms were.

The moment the door behind them was closed, they were kissing. Jack cupped his hands around Daniel's face and the other man had his arms around his waist, pulling him in as closely as possible.

 

***

 

"Carter, where's Sousa?" An agent approached her desk.  
  "I don't know, I don't trace his every move," She sighed, arranging her files.  
"Why would you two be dating if you don't know where you both are?"  
  "I don't know. Now, I need to find Thompson, any idea where I might find him?"  
  "Dunno, he left with Sousa like twenty minutes ago," The man paused. "You don't think they're doing anythin queer, right?"  
"If last night is anything to go by, I'd say we're safe," She said, marching off, leaving him speechless.

 

"Thompson, Sousa," She stage-whispered as she walked the halls. She'd opened every door, well, not the men's toilets, but otherwise, she was determined to find them.

 

And she did.

 

With Daniel's tongue down Jack's throat.  
 "Well, this is something I hoped I'd never see," Peggy said as the men started fixing their hair and clothes.  
"Sorry, Peggy," Daniel said, straightening his blazer.  
  "Oh, don't apologise. Just don't do it again, well, not here. You're lucky I'm the one who found you," Peggy said. 

 

***

 

Peggy kicked off her heels the moment she came home. She was exhausted and really hated straight people at the moment. 

Angie must've heard her come in, because she came into her flat, still in her waitress uniform, carrying some of the food she'd stolen from breakfast. That was one of the charming things about Angie. She had a knack for doing the strangest things, such as eating breakfast food at 8 PM, her tendency to hum June Christy songs under her breath when she concentrated. And every time she did so, Peggy would fall more in love with the girl.

 

They ate their rolls, talking about their day, and about what would happen when they could legally get married. Would they? Yes, Peggy had said. She said there was something about their relationship that made her certain that they would last.

 They stayed that way until the clock struck midnight and Angie had to make her way to her own flat. Peggy kissed her deeply before letting her go.

 

 

 


	5. The Legalisaton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy recives the news and shares it with her friends and her girlfriend. However, not everything is in paradise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Homophobia, and the word f*g. I will not censor it in the story though, but just be warned.

Peggy was old. She knew that. She had retired from being the Director of SHIELD to live her life with her 'roommate' Angie. That's what they said because even if homosexuality was wider accepted, it was technically illegal.  
That is, until, the 26th of June 2003. She woke up at 6:30, as her usual routine. Angie didn't wake up until 7, but Peggy enjoyed the half hour she had to herself. Peggy made herself a cup of tea and turned on the news.  
  " _President Bush has repealed an age-old law about homosexuality. For the first time in the history of America, homosexuality is legal. Many were upset with the news, and have decided to protest outside the White House. President Bush is yet to comment on that matter_ ," The radio buzzed. Peggy almost dropped her teacup. It was finally legal. Oh, how she'd longed for this. She'd longed for it ever since Angie had kissed her goodnight. They didn't actually part ways that night, as Angie slept in her bed. And no, they didn't do anything.

She walked over to the phone and dialled the number she'd dialled so many times.  
" _Hello_?" He sounded tired. Peggy chided herself for calling so early, it was 6:45.  
  "Daniel, it's me. Have you heard the news?" Peggy said immediately.  
" _What news_?"  
   "They legalised homosexuality! Oh, I can't wait to tell Angie. Should we go out to dinner and celebrate?"   
" _Absolutely! This is, this is amazing_!"

They chatted for another 15 minutes before Peggy heard the familiar footsteps of her lover.

She greeted her with a cheerful kiss and a warm embrace.  
  "Whoa, English. Where does all this come from? I'm not complaining, though," Angie said.  
"They legalised it. You can't be a criminal anymore for being gay," Peggy whispered. The words had barely left her mouth before Angie kissed her again.

 

***

 

At the restaurant, Peggy greeted their old friends with a hug and a kiss on the cheek each and then gestured for them to join them at the table.  
  "The waitress should be here at any moment," Speak of the devil, and he shall arrive. The waitress in her early 30s handed them their menus.  
 "Double date, huh?" She said. Presumably, it was just some casual conversation. People were like that in America, surprisingly.  
"Yes, we're celebrating," Angie said politely.  
   "Well, that sounds lovely. What can I get for ya?" She said. They ordered and she left.

They chatted for a while, catching up on what had happened. Peggy told an anecdote in which Nick Fury had come into her home one day and found Angie. They had lied and said that they were roommates, as to avoid any possible confrontation, but he had been suspicious of them ever since Peggy retired.  
  "I still can't believe that you founded the worlds leading organisation, I mean, you're incredible," Jack said. 

The food arrived at the table, but they didn't break their conversation, they just thanked the waitress and went on.  
"-I'd say Dottie always knew. Remember when I was a fugitive and you were searching the Griffith and you found me unconscious in the hall? I'd bumped into her and she kissed me. She was wearing my brand of lipstick, one that knocks the person you're kissing right out," Peggy explained, earning a few chuckles around the table.

 

***

 

Angie had suggested a walk in the park, which the other three agreed to. So there they were, strolling through Central Park, Angie holding Peggy by the waist, holding her close, and Jack and Daniel holding hands, their fingers laced tightly together.

It was fairly quiet, especially considering the fact that this was New York and that it was Central Park.

A drunken man approached the couples, waving a bottle of beer.  
"You better be careful the way you walk around here, people might think you're lesbos or fags. You wouldn't want tha-" Peggy punched him in the face.

Oh damn that felt great. As a woman in her late eighties, not many were up for annoying or attacking her. And she had missed the satisfaction of socking someone right in the jaw. Especially someone who insulted her wife. Sorry, girlfriend.

Actually.....


	6. Chapter 6

Peggy donned her coat, slipping her hand into the pocket to make sure that the box was still there. It was.

  She and Angie were going to take a walk to Coney Island and Peggy was going to propose. She knew it was cheesy, but she couldn't help it. Angie loved romantic movies. She could quote Breakfast at Tiffany's word by word. So Peggy was going to do the most romantic thing she could think of. Propose on a beach at sunset. On their anniversary.

As they were walking, Angie slipped her hand into Peggy's and she could feel her pulse heightening. They'd been together for 69 years and Angie still made her feel like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush.

Holding ice cream, they made their way to the beach, Angie humming softly. The sun had just touched the horizon and Peggy decided that there was no time like the present. She stopped, took out the box and got down on one knee.

 "Angie, I have loved you for 69 lovely years. I have loved you ever since I set foot inside the Automat. I have loved you ever since you kissed me goodnight. And we have been in a relationship for almost 7 decades. And I know that this might be a bit late, but will you marry me?" At the end of her speech, Angie was crying quietly, nodding. 

Peggy smiled the widest she had ever smiled and carefully slipped the ring onto Angie's finger. They kissed tenderly.

Applause was heard, well, more like some people clapping. They turned to see another lesbian couple sitting on the beach slightly behind them, smiling at them.

  "Congratulations! I must say, I've never seen a more adorable couple," One of the girls said while her girlfriend was sleepily snuggling into her shoulder.

 "Well, I beg to differ, you two are also adorable," Angie said.

 

***

 

Peggy was tugging at her wedding dress. It was classic, with 3/4 sleeves and a '40s style skirt which pooled around her feet. She looked in the mirror. Her hair was in her iconic pin curls and her lips were painted red. The only difference with what she would've looked like if she'd married while young, was that she would've been, well, younger. And that she wasn't wearing her heels. The doctor had advised against it, but she had argued her way into shoes with half an inch of heel. She felt younger again, even if the person walking her down the aisle was Director Fury.

When she'd sent out the invitations, she made sure to send some to her favourite SHIELD agents. But when Agent Hill asked her who was walking her down, and Peggy had responded "Myself, of course," she'd been hellbent on making sure Nick did so.

 

***

Angie was anxiously waiting by the aisle. People were looking at her, but she couldn't read their expressions. Then the music started. Everyone stood up and Angie fixated her eyes on the woman who was minutes away from becoming her wife.

"Queerly beloved," Peggy and Angie had convinced the officiant to start that way. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of these two committed women. Do you, Margaret Carter, take Angela Martinelli to be your lawfully wedded wife. To hold and to cherish, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

  "I do,"

"And do you, Angela Martinelli take Margaret Carter to be your lawfully wedded wife. To hold and to cherish, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

   "Hell fuckin' yeah," He gave her a look. "I mean, I do,"

"I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss the bride,"

And they did.

Rainbow confetti rained over them as they kissed. Because gay.

***

 

Their first dance had been to Can't Help Falling In love by Elvis because Angie had sung it for Peggy ever since Blue Hawaii came out.  Daniel and Jack joined them on the dancefloor. They weren't married yet, but Daniel was planning on proposing to his boyfriend.

 


	7. Daniel&Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, ya just wanna marry the guy you spent years hatin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had like three different proposals in mind, but I chose the one my sister suggested.

There was nothing special about the moment. Daniel and Jack were just watching some TV-show and laughing at the obliviousness of two characters who were obviously in love. Their eyes met.  
  "Marry me," Daniel blurted out.   
"What?" He asked. _Oh god, this is how it ends. With me laughing at Parks and Rec and asking my boyfriend to marry me,_ Daniel thought.  
  "Marry me?" he repeated, slower and in a different tone.  
"Of course," Jack said, kissing him gently. They lay like that for a while. Cuddling, with the sounds of the television in the background.   
  

"So do ya want a big, flashy wedding, like Peg and Angie?" Daniel asked, after a while.  
  "Not really. I never saw the appeal behind having a bunch of people in a remote location,"  
"Exactly. So do you just want to go down to the DMV tomorrow and get the license?"  
  "Yeah, although we probably should call Peggy and Angie to witness. We have been through so much together," Jack said. Daniel nodded in approval and cuddled into his boyfr- _fiance._

 

***

 

"Daniel, Jack, what are we doing here this early in the morning?" Peggy asked. She was right, it was around 7 AM, and her wife looked slightly annoyed at having to get out of bed early.  
  "Jack and I are getting married," Daniel said, halfway through the door, leaving the women confused and then rushing behind.

 

***

 

Thirty minutes and dollars later, Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa were now Jack and Daniel Sousa-Thompson. Peggy insisted on buying them a wedding gift.

It was a bottle of JackDaniels.  
"Really original, Marge," Jack said when he saw it.  
  "I went on the first thought in my brain. Don't judge me," She defended herself.  
"Didn't Rose buy us a bottle when she found out?"   
  "Oh my god, did she actually do that?" Angie said. She wasn't that familiar with the woman but based on what she'd heard, she figured she knew her personality.

 

***

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is almost directly taken from Parks and Rec. I mean the time Ron Swanson and Diane get married. Also, I know that this is short, but I'm itching to write the next one and I honestly ran out of dialogue for the ending.


	8. Reunion, I guess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy is reunited with Steve. She catches him up on the 20th century.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost over. I can't believe that it's taken so long to finish 9 chapters.

A knock shook Peggy from her thoughts. Her nurse peeked in.  
  "Mrs Carter, you have a visitor," she said.  
"is it Sharon? I haven't seen her in a long time,"   
"No, but you'll be glad to see him," She replied, stepping aside. Revealing Steve Rogers. Peggy gasped and tears formed in her eyes.  
 "Steve? You're back! It's been so long!" She exclaimed, attempting to get out of bed. He crossed the room to stop her.  
  "Hey, Peg. It seems we have a lot of catching up to do,"

 

***

 

"I knew you didn't stop being a badass. I saw the video you did in the Captain America exhibit in the Smithsonian. Being a housewife doesn't seem like your style at all," He said. Peggy smiled. She knew that there was something wrong, but she didn't want to ask him in case it was private.  
  "What are you up to these days? I can imagine that catching up on what you missed must take up some time," She asked instead.  
"Not much, I've been keeping a list of things people want me to have a look at. Do you have any recommendations?" He pulled out a small notebook and Peggy chuckled.  
  "I have lived a long life, this might take a while. First off, you must know of the band that was famous all throughout the '60s. Dear Lord, everyone dragged me to their concerts. You must listen to 'Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club' by the Beatles," She started.

 

***

 

"And believe it or not, it went on for ten bloody years. The first three were alright, the eighth was awful, and the last one barely made any sense. Although, some of the jokes might be outdated for this decade," Peggy finished. Steve scribbled down _Friends-Tv Show_ in his notebook and looked up to her.  
  "You skipped the 80s," He said. She'd gone through the decades one by one, and he had noticed that she'd avoided saying anything of the decade.  
"I did. There wasn't much that happened, in my opinion. Oh! There was the Cold War, don't look so shocked darling, it was mostly the _threat_ of a nuclear war. There was a lot of dance music, speaking of which, _Hot Space_ by Queen is quite the album. My niece Sharon loved dancing to it. There was the AIDS outbreak and-"  
"AIDS outbreak?" He interrupted her.  
  "Didn't Stark tell you? Damn you, Howard," She muttered. "AIDS was an illness which grew a lot during the end of the 80s. It was contagious, to an extent. You could get it by sleeping with someone who had it, receiving blood from someone who had it, or by using the same needle for injections as someone who had it. The largest groups affected by it was gay men and heroin addicts. No one knew how it started, but many assumed that it was God's way of punishing homosexual men.  
  "It works by ruining the immune system until something as simple as a cold can kill you," She'd begun tearing up.  
"Is there a cure?" Steve asked urgently.  
  "It's been around for over twenty years, but no. There's no cure. It claimed the lives of many people, including singers, like Freddie Mercury, the frontman of Queen, Rock Hudson had it, and many more," she said. Steve took her hand.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," he said. Tears brimmed his eyes as well as hers.  
"Let us change the subject," She said shakily, and he nodded in agreement.

 

***

 

 


	9. Steve&Bucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve comes out to Peggy, and he doesn't regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

"Peg, didya ever love someone you feel that you shouldn't've?" Steve asked her one day.  
  "How do you mean?"  
"Like, I don't know. You know in the army right, how some of the guys were with each other romantically?" He danced around the subject.  
"Steven Rogers, are you asking me if I have ever loved a woman?" She laughed.   
  "What? No-" He began defending himself.  
"I am married to one," She interrupted.  
"Oh, wait what? I thought you were married to that brunet guy they had a photo of in the Smithsonian?"  
  "No, Daniel is a good friend of mine. But we were never married in the legal sense. We agreed to act as if we were going out for the sake of his safety, as there were suspicions of his homosexuality around the office. His husband faked going out with my wife,"   
"I was going to ask you how you would react if I told you that I might like both men and women, but somehow, that's not the most unexpected part of this conversation,"  
   "I would not be surprised, Steve. I saw the way you looked at Howard. No straight man looks that admiringly at another man," Peggy shrugged.

"You know Bucky, right?" He asked. Peggy nodded. "Well, I might've liked him a bit back then," He admitted. Peggy didn't react.  
  "So what?"   
"So, I saw him. At the grocery store. And I've never felt that way before. Peggy, do you have any advice?" He asked.  
  "You still have his contact info, right? Invite him over and snog him if you so please, although, you should ask if you can first. Consent is an important thing," Peggy said.

 

***

 

"Mrs Carter? You have visitors,"  
 "Excellent, show 'em in," She said. Steve came in, holding hands with someone whom she presumed was Bucky. He looked slightly scared, but she could tell that Steve was a calming presence for the man.  
  "I can see that you finally did as I advised," She commented on their joint hands.  
"Nice to see you too, Peg. This is Bucky,"  
"Hello, Mrs Carter," He stretched out his free hand for her to shake.  
  "Please, call me Peggy, Mrs Carter makes me feel old,"  
"Peggy, you're like eighty,"  
  "And I can still kick your ass, young man," She said sternly, before laughing.

"Steve tells me that you're the reason he realised he was bi," Bucky said awkwardly. She nodded.  
   "I did love Steve, back then, and I married the woman I'd been in love with for 69 years when it became legal. I loved her dearly," Peggy said.  
 "Loved? Past tense?" Steve inquired.  
  "Rogers, darling, I am over eighty years old. and my wife did lead a healthy life, but no one is completely immortal. Not even Angie," She kissed the ring she still wore.  
   "How did she die? If you don't mind me asking,"  
"Heart attack. She'd gotten a role in an upcoming film and she needed to practice a choreography. Her heart gave out,"  
   "Wait, you called her Angie, what was her full name?" Steve asked.  
"Angela Martinelli," She responded. His eyes blew wide open.  
  "Angela Martinelli? You were married to one of the greatest actresses both on Broadway and on the silver screen?" Bucky asked.

Peggy smiled. This was good. This was a good day, remembering her wife's legacy.

 

***

 

"Mrs Carter, please stay calm. We're going to get a doctor," The nurse said urgently.  
  "What's your name, darling?"  
"It's Sharon, Mrs,"  
   "Sharon, that's my niece's name. Do tell her that I love her?"  
"Mrs Carter, you're not going to die,"  
   "Oh, it's my time. Besides, I'll be there with Angie, and Daniel and Jack! Oh, how I've missed them. I have missed Angie the most. I love her so much, and I can't wait until I can see her again," She kissed her ring for the last time.  
"I'm coming, Angela,"

 

***

 

PEGGY CARTER, THE FOUNDER OF SHIELD DIES AT 95

 

Steve Rogers read the headline and his world began crumbling down. How could she be gone? She'd been a beacon of light during his time in the army, and he'd made a habit of visiting her, Bucky joining them whenever he could. He'd loved the way her eyes lit up every time she spoke about her wife. 

They wouldn't do that anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'm not, but I had to wrap it up somehow and this was the best way I could think of.


End file.
